Slieve Muck

About Slieve Muck

Rising steeply above the Spelga Pass, this rugged Hewitt offers a distinct character shaped by its Silurian shale cap. As the source of the River Bann, it provides a wild, grassy ascent from the west and a dramatic, rocky escarpment to the east, overlooking the deep waters of the Silent Valley.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Irish 'Sliabh Muc', meaning 'Mountain of the Pig', which is likely a reference to its humped profile when viewed from the surrounding lowlands.
• •The northern slopes mark the official source of the River Bann, Northern Ireland’s longest river, which begins its journey here before eventually flowing into Lough Neagh.
• •On the eastern slope, natural scree patterns have long been said to resemble the letters 'POV', leading to the local nickname 'Poverty Mountain'—a wry nod to the thin, unyielding soil of the high Mournes.
• •The summit offers a specific, bird's-eye view of the Spelga Reservoir to the north and a clear sightline down the granite-walled trench of the Silent Valley toward the Irish Sea.
• •Unlike the prominent granite tors of the central Mournes, this hill is capped with Silurian shale, creating a crumbly eastern escarpment that contrasts sharply with the solid rock of neighbouring Slieve Meelbeg.
• •The name translates as 'Pig Mountain,' though the relentless incline from the Spelga side ensures that most walkers arrive at the top sounding significantly less graceful than the namesake livestock.